Aston Villa fans had been eagerly awaiting this moment.
On social media, the match threads were already buzzing!
"Finally, weekend football is back! Can't wait to see Theo running the midfield again."
"Come on Villa! Let's smash them tonight!"
"Birmingham might be struggling, but form goes out the window in a derby. We can't afford to take our foot off the gas."
"Hoping for another Theo masterclass today."
"The Sky Sports stream just went live and the viewership is massive. The hype train is real!"
Inside a boiling St. Andrew's Stadium, the players of Birmingham City and Aston Villa took their starting positions.
Beep!
The referee blew his whistle, and the Second City Derby was underway.
The home side kicked off. Midfielder Maikel Kieftenbeld controlled the ball and immediately sprayed it out wide.
Jacques Maghoma trapped it on the wing.
The winger was in decent form, having bagged assists in his last three outings.
He took a quick glance into the penalty area and whipped a cross in.
Maghoma had a yard of pace on his man, but Aston Villa's defensive shape held firm. Left-back Neil Taylor, heavily supported by the returning veteran Glenn Whelan, quickly shut down the angles.
With no room to dribble, throwing a cross into the mixer was Maghoma's only real option.
The ball whipped dangerously through the freezing air, dipping right toward Lukas Jutkiewicz.
Maghoma's delivery was spot on. Now it was down to the big striker's aerial threat.
Jutkiewicz threw himself at the ball, fighting for the header in front of the goal.
But he didn't even scrape it.
Aston Villa center-back Kortney Hause got there first. After sitting out a two-match ban for that controversial red card against West Brom, Hause was finally back in the starting eleven.
He threw his weight around and attacked the ball.
Alongside Tyrone Mings, the defensive duo neutralized the early Birmingham threat, heading the ball safely out for a corner.
The home crowd roared, sensing blood early on. Birmingham midfielder David Davis jogged over to the corner flag. Davis had a decent right foot. He eyed the crowded penalty area and swung a teasing ball toward the near post.
Jutkiewicz leaped high again, desperate to win this aerial duel. But Mings matched him step for step. Under heavy physical pressure from Mings, Jutkiewicz couldn't generate any power.
It was a weak, looping header that posed zero threat.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Jed Steer stepped off his line and plucked it easily out of the air.
Looking to counter quickly, Steer launched a massive punt up the field.
The ball dropped near the edge of the Birmingham penalty area.
Jack Grealish and Davis went up for it.
Aerial duels were never Grealish's strong suit, and the Birmingham midfielder easily beat him to the punch, heading it away.
But the clearance was sloppy. It didn't go far. Lurking in the center of the park, Theodore Bjorn killed the dropping ball with a soft touch.
"Theodore Bjorn picks up the loose ball," Gary Weaver noted on the Sky Sports broadcast, his voice picking up pace.
Up in the stands, the hostile Birmingham crowd suddenly grew tense.
Despite Garry Monk's arrogant claims during the press conference that the teenager wouldn't pose a threat, the home fans clearly knew better.
"What are they doing?! Press the kid!"
"Don't just stand there! He's got the most assists in the league!"
"Close him down before he picks a pass!"
The grumbles echoed around St. Andrew's the second Theodore touched the ball.
Down on the touchline, Monk's confident facade slipped.
He stared intently as three blue shirts swarmed the teenager.
Kieftenbeld, Davis, and center-back Michael Morrison charged aggressively. They seemed to hear the panicked roars of their fans and threw themselves at the 17-year-old.
"Three men immediately close him down," Weaver commentated. "Let's see how the youngster handles this pressure."
Theodore didn't panic. This was his moment. He baited Kieftenbeld in, took a soft touch with his left, and then quickly tapped it forward.
A filthy nutmeg.
The ball slipped right through the Dutchman's legs.
Those extra hours spent grinding his dribbling skills on the training pitch were paying off!
Next up was Davis.
Instead of trying another trick, Theodore braced himself for impact. He dropped his shoulder and initiated a harsh physical duel.
Despite his young age, Theodore's raw strength was too much for the veteran.
He muscled Davis aside like he wasn't even there.
That left only one man in his path: Michael Morrison.
Birmingham's defensive captain.
Seeing the teenager dismantle his midfield, Morrison realized the massive danger. He didn't hesitate. He was going to take the yellow card and snap the kid in half.
Morrison charged in like a runaway freight train, showing zero intention of playing the ball.
Theodore saw the brutal tackle coming a mile away.
Just a fraction of a second before Morrison could wipe him out, Theodore scooped his right foot under the ball.
Boom.
The pass floated beautifully into the Birmingham penalty area, hanging right over the penalty spot.
Tammy Abraham was already airborne, hunting for the finish, he used his massive body to launch himself into the air, fighting aggressively for the dropping ball.
Birmingham's center-back, Harlee Dean, was a strong lad, but he was no match for Abraham's raw athleticism and hang time.
Thump!
A powerful, snapping header.
After bullying Dean out of the way in mid-air, Abraham directed the ball down toward the bottom corner.
Birmingham's goalkeeper, Lee Camp, threw his body across the goal line, desperate to make the save.
But he couldn't reach it.
The ball nestled cleanly into the back of the net.
1-0.
Aston Villa had drawn first blood!
The hostile, roaring stands of St. Andrew's Stadium fell dead silent.
It was as if someone had pulled the plug on the home crowd.
In stark contrast, the away end erupted into absolute madness.
The traveling Aston Villa faithful leaped over the seats, waving their claret and blue scarves wildly above their heads.
They belted out the club anthem at the top of their lungs, their voices echoing off the concrete.
For a brief, glorious moment, it felt like St. Andrew's had been conquered.
Down on the pitch, Tammy Abraham was losing his mind.
Scoring a goal is a great feeling, but scoring in a bitter local derby? That writes your name into folklore!
Abraham ran toward the corner flag, pointing both hands to the grey Birmingham sky.
Then, he turn around and sprinted straight over to Theodore, grabbing the teenager in a massive hug to thank him for the perfect delivery.
Currently, Abraham led the Championship goal-scoring charts, while Theodore sat comfortably at the top of the assist charts.
The two of them were a lethal combination, elevating each other's game every time they stepped on the grass!